with broad tapering double-edged blade struck with three 'King's head' marks between two short slender fullers framed by lines on each face (rubbed), boldly formed iron basket-hilt of strongly fluted bars, comprising scrolling quillon stamped on its underside 'I.S' and 'G', the latter over a saltire, a tall slender panel with delicately cusped border pierced with hearts and trefoils above an openwork ram's horn moulding at the front, back and knuckle-guard, two square panels decorated en suite and each carried by a saltire, a pair of looped bars at the front, fluted bun-shaped moulding enriched with punched circles, the principle bars and panels with delicate filed lines and punched rondels (small cracks on two panels), early fish-skin-covered grip with a spiral binding of silver ribband between shaped silver collars, and an early leather liner, 82.8 cm blade
Provenance
An Important English Private Collection
Literature
Tony Willis, Notes on the dating of early Glasgow Style Scottish Basket-Hilted Swords, in The Park Lane Arms Fair 2015, pp. 103-117
See Willis, op. cit., for a discussion of this specific group of hilts, their dates and attributions to specific members of the Simpson family. For related hilts, sold in this room, see 7th December 2011, lot 157 and 7th December 2022, lot 218.
Sold for £8,500
with broad tapering double-edged blade struck with three 'King's head' marks between two short slender fullers framed by lines on each face (rubbed), boldly formed iron basket-hilt of strongly fluted bars, comprising scrolling quillon stamped on its underside 'I.S' and 'G', the latter over a saltire, a tall slender panel with delicately cusped border pierced with hearts and trefoils above an openwork ram's horn moulding at the front, back and knuckle-guard, two square panels decorated en suite and each carried by a saltire, a pair of looped bars at the front, fluted bun-shaped moulding enriched with punched circles, the principle bars and panels with delicate filed lines and punched rondels (small cracks on two panels), early fish-skin-covered grip with a spiral binding of silver ribband between shaped silver collars, and an early leather liner, 82.8 cm blade
Provenance
An Important English Private Collection
Literature
Tony Willis, Notes on the dating of early Glasgow Style Scottish Basket-Hilted Swords, in The Park Lane Arms Fair 2015, pp. 103-117
See Willis, op. cit., for a discussion of this specific group of hilts, their dates and attributions to specific members of the Simpson family. For related hilts, sold in this room, see 7th December 2011, lot 157 and 7th December 2022, lot 218.
Auction: Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria Dec 2024, 4th Dec, 2024
Auction Location: London, UK
Including:
THE BILL TERRY COLLECTION, PART II: NON WESTERN ARCHERY
THE ROY ELVIS COLLECTION OF INDIAN ARMS & ARMOUR, PART V
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES SOMERS COCKS, 3RD EARL SOMERS (1819-83), EASTNOR CASTLE, THENCE BY DESCENT
AN IMPORTANT ENGLISH PRIVATE COLLECTION
THE ROBERT E. BROOKER JR. COLLECTION OF RARE ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOUR, PART ONE: THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD
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Tuesday 3rd December: 10.00am to 5.00pm
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